The African Media Network of Liberia has described reports of alleged corruption and conflict between the Director-General and Deputy Director General of the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP) as complete falsehood and fake propaganda. The CSO media group said allegations from some quarters, especially from the Daily Flash News that the Director General of the National Social Security & Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP), Dewitt vonBallmoos, is “facing serious allegations of misusing public funds in the amount of US$87,000 to finance a questionable guesthouse project in Kakata, Margibi County” as a manufactured news intended to blackmail.
The African Media Network said investigation conducted on the operation of NASSCORP over the years established that the corporation’s Director General, vonBallmoos, authorized the use of US$87,000 in public funds for the construction of a guesthouse in violation of the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC) Process and the Public Financial Management (PFM) Laws, suggesting that it has caused conflict between the two top managers of the corporation. The African Media Network said this is a politically motivated and baseless story. The group added, “The NASSCORP Guest House Project in Kakata is part of the corporation’s public investment plan to increase its asset portfolio. Documents in our possession reveals that, contrary to the news outlet’s publication, NASSCORP as an institution, not Mr. vonBallmoos, scrupulously followed all of the PPCC processes and the PFM laws leading to the construction of the guest house. The contract is in full adherence to procurement and public financial laws.”
The African Media Network of Liberia further observed, “The claim by the Daily Flash News that there is little or no internal financial oversight within NASSCORP to detect or prevent undocumented expenditures is a make-up story that grossly misrepresents the fact at the NASSCORP. The group called it false and misleading, clarifying that the corporation has account, procurement, and internal audit divisions responsible to manage, track, review, and ensure that all procurements transactions are in strict compliance with the PPCC and PFM laws of Liberia. Receipts, invoices, and all verifiable records on the NASSCORP guest house are available and well documented.”
AMNEL stated that Daily Flash’s assertion that there exists conflict between Dewitt vonBallmoos and his deputy Moifee Kanneh is a “baseless allegation” and “malicious blackmail” designed to undermine the corporation’s management. The group intoned that inquiry made at NASSCORP witnessed workers denying the fake allegations against vonBallmoos, referring to them as fabricated lies by individuals seeking to cause chaos at the corporation. The workers said that there exists a cordial and congenial working relationship between vonBallmoos and the Deputy, Kanneh.
The Africa Media Network of Liberia concluded that the unprecedented achievements of VonBallmoos at NASSCORP makes it disingenuous to deface the character of a result-oriented administrator who has tremendously transformed NASSCORP. They welcomed Focus on Liberia, a globally renowned media institution, for recognizing vonBallmoos’ years of productive leadership and impactful achievements, and called for rallied support for VonBallmoos instead of the demonizing of his character with lies and propaganda.
